


I'll Be Your Sinner In Secret

by tingles



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Cat and Kara being idiots in love, F/F, Mostly Fluff, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-07-27 10:10:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7613992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tingles/pseuds/tingles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set a few months after the end of Season 1. Cat and Kara have grown closer after the promotion, but when a tabloid takes interest in their relationship things start to get more complicated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I've ever written something this long, but this just got out of my hands. The story is already pretty much finished, and I'll be posting chapters every three days or so. I just hope you'll enjoy reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

Kara’s day had already started awfully before she got to the office and found out about the news that would change her life. She had forgotten to set the alarm before crashing on her bed after a particularly long night patrolling the city. That lead to her oversleeping and consequently being so late to work that even her super speed couldn’t help to get her back in time.

That meant that not only she would probably get yelled at by her new superior, but she also wouldn’t been able to stop by Noonan’s and get Cat’s coffee as she usually did. It was supposed to be Emily’s, her new assistant, job, but Kara liked to do it herself because it meant she got a couple of minutes with Cat before their day started. The fact that most days Cat gave her the tiniest smile when she handed her the cup was also big plus, if Kara had to be completely honest.

That day, though, the possible reprimand or not being seeing her boss would be the last of her problems. As soon as she stepped into the bullpen, the feeling of being watched by every single person there was so overwhelming no superpowers were needed to notice it. She quickly walked over to her office, trying not to freak out. Her mind was already presenting her the worst case scenarios, had somehow her secret gotten out? That couldn’t be, Alex would have contacted her already.

She closed the door behind her with a little more force than necessary, grateful once more for the fact that Cat had given her one of the few offices in the building without glass walls, but it was quickly opened again when Winn entered right behind her, looking panicked. “Kara, have you seen it?”

“What? What’s going on? Why was everybody looking at me back there?” Her stomach dropped, what could have gotten her best friend so freaked out? All her questions were answered when Winn dropped a glossy magazine on her desk. It was one of National City’s most read tabloids, and on the cover under the huge headline “Cat Out Of The Bag: Cat’s Grant Newest Catch” there was a photograph of her and Cat leaving a restaurant together.

If Kryptonians could faint, Kara felt like she would have in that moment. “What the hell, Winn?” She said, raising her voice without even noticing. “What…How… Oh my God, she’s going to kill me…” She walked around the office, rambling under her breath until Winn got tired of watching her lose her nerves and grabbed her by the arm to catch her attention.

“Is it true?”

“What? Of course not.” Kara started laughing nervously. “Cat and I? In what world would that happen, I mean Winn be serious. These are all lies.”

“I don’t know Kara, it does look pretty… suspicious.” Winn said, raising an eyebrow as he took the magazine and examined the photo on the cover. Kara went to his side to give it another look, noticing all the details her eyes had missed before while she was too busy trying to remember how to breathe.

She had to admit it looked kind of coupley. The picture showed Kara and Cat standing in front of one of National City’s most exclusive restaurants, which was famous for its fusion of French and Asian cuisine and exactly the kind of place where someone like Cat Grant would take a date to. They were smiling at each other and God, if Kara really looked at her with such a dumb infatuated look it was a miracle no one else had noticed her feelings for Cat before.

They obviously looked comfortable around the other, a smaller set of quick snaps under the photo showed them walking to the car and getting in, Kara opening the door for her and even leaving her hand on Cat’s back protectively. The touch had lasted no more than a few seconds, but immortalized like that it seemed much more intimate. Kara felt incredibly stupid, maybe if she hadn’t been so busy staring at Cat she could have noticed someone was taking pictures of them.

“This is a disaster.” Kara sighed, defeated, as she let herself fall on her chair and hid her face behind her hands. “You haven’t even read what they say about it inside.” Winn replied, and Kara heard the rustle of the pages before he started reading some excerpts out loud.

“Who is Cat Grant’s new mystery companion? The pair looked radiant as they left Chez Julien last Thursday night.” Kara grunted without even lifting her head, but Winn carried on. “Sources tell us she works at CatCo and has always been close with The Queen of All Media.  At least they don’t have your name yet” Winn quickly added before carrying on. “So does that mean we’re witnessing the birth of an office romance? We’ll keep a close eye on what could be National City’s hottest new couple.”

“Please tell me this is all a nightmare and I’ll wake up soon.”

“I’m sorry, Kara.” Winn said, sitting on her desk and looking at her with pity. “Maybe it won’t be so bad? I mean, it’s obviously a stupid idea like you said, most people won’t believe it.”

“Cat’s going to hate me.” Kara whined.

“Why would she hate you? It’s not like you wrote this crap.” He threw the magazine to the trash can. “At most she’ll make you sleep on the couch for a week.” He joked, until Kara’s glare made him gulp and raise his arms faking surrender. “I’m sorry, too soon. But seriously, Kara, I doubt Cat will blame you for any of this. It will be okay.”

Kara nodded, but she didn’t share Winn’s optimism at all. She had the feeling that everything she had managed to build with Cat over the almost three years they had known each other, and especially since after her promotion, would be ruined because of this stupid fake exclusive.

She would have kept wallowing in self-pity if it wasn’t for her phone starting to ring. “Great. Alex must have found out already.” She said after seeing who was calling. “I’ll leave you to it.” Winn hopped off the desk and walked out, wishing her good luck and promising to keep an eye on everything that happened in the office.

Kara looked at her phone for a few seconds, gathering the strength she would surely need to calm her sister down, before finally picking up. “Alex, I swear it’s not what it looks like.”

***

Kara spent the rest of the day in her office. She didn’t like to think of it as hiding, but it did resemble hiding a lot. James was the one who brought her lunch, which she guessed was also an excuse to hear from her about the whole tabloid debacle. Explaining it to him was awkward after their timid, failed attempt at dating after Myriad, and even if he was nothing but kind about it as usual something told her that James wasn’t entirely convinced that it was all made up.

She had been fearing and anticipating at the same time the moment the work day ended and most employees left the building. It was her chance to talk to Cat in privacy. It had been a long time since she’d been this nervous as she walked to her boss’s office, lately, rather than nerves, it was an almost pleasant flutter that settled in her stomach as she crossed the bullpen.    

“Hey.” Kara shyly made her presence known standing at the door. “Can I?” Cat looked up and seemed a little surprised to find her there, even if these visits had become more and more usual as of late.

“Of course.”

Cat didn’t seem to be mad, so Kara felt a little surer as she walked towards the sofa she was sitting on. Still, she felt awkward and hesitated to take a sit next to her as she would have done any other day, so she chose to simply remain standing **.** Now that she could look at her more closely, she noticed Cat did appear to be exhausted. Her hair was less perfect than it must had been this morning, probably after she had ran her hand through it in frustration too many times, and as it sometimes happened after a really tiring day, Cat was wearing two of her pairs of glasses without even noticing. Had it been the day before, Kara would have dared to take one of them off herself, even tease her a little about it. She was confident enough to do those kind of things now. They were friends. Kara wondered if she was about to lose all that.

“Can we talk? About… you know.” She almost fidgeted as Cat left the layouts on the table to focus on her.

“Sure.” She was tense. Kara knew her too well for Cat to be able to hide it from her, even if she pretended to be unaffected. “It seems not even being the Queen of All Media will save you from having defamatory articles written about you by tabloid trash.” Cat said after a brief silence. Kara tried not to flinch at the way she said defamatory. It wasn’t like they said she was committing a crime, just dating her, was that idea really that harmful to her image?

“I’m sorry for all the embarrassment this must have caused you.” She softened her tone as she addressed Kara directly. “It was never my intention for this to happen.”

“I know, Cat. It’s not your fault. I mean, who could have guessed they’d make up something so ludicrous, right?” Kara was quick to talk before she said anything else. She’d hate for Cat to feel guilty about the whole mess. And if anyone was probably feeling embarrassed, it had to be her not Kara.

“Right.” The tension emerged again, leaving Kara at loss for words. Cat cleared her throat. “If anyone bothers you at work because of this, come straight to me. I’ll take care of this and try my best to do damage control, I have some influence over people at _Stars_ _Weekly_.” Kara doubted there was a single media outlet in the country Cat didn’t have any influence over.

“Thank you.” Their eyes met, and Kara couldn’t have been able to move even if she’d wanted to in that moment. Should she stay? For the first time in ages she couldn’t decipher what Cat was thinking. Should she leave? She wanted to ask if that was what Cat wanted. For them to maintain a certain distance from now on. The thought of going backwards made her stomach turn, even more so when she remembered the hurt that had come after Cat’s last “strictly professional” speech.

“I have to go. My sister’s waiting for me at home. Pizza night.” She smiled awkwardly as she quickly made up an excuse. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Maybe it was better to quit while she was ahead and give her some space. At least the conversation had been civil, Kara told herself, trying to ignore sinking feeling of dread.

“See you tomorrow, Kara.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter two! A little early since the first one wasn't that long. Thanks for all the comments, it made me really happy to receive such positive feedback, I hope you keep enjoying the story.

“Are you going to explain to us why you’ve been going on dates with Cat Grant?”

Kara had set up a meeting first thing in the morning with Alex and Lucy at the DEO to talk about the CatGate, as Lucy, who appeared to be way more amused than she should about it all, had named it. Not even five minutes had passed and Kara was already starting to wish there was an alien emergency somewhere so she could escape.

“I already told you we’re not dating, Alex.” Kara, in her Supergirl outfit, crossed her arms.

“That was before I had seen this.” For the second time in two days, Cat and Kara were on the cover of _Stars Weekly._ Kara almost couldn’t believe it when she saw it, how long had they been followed for?

The new headline read: “ _Melting The Queen Of All Media’s Heart: Cat Grant And Her New Gal Pal Share Tender Moment After Gala_ ”

The picture below showed Kara and Cat, all dressed up in their gowns, sitting on a bench in a park near the venue where the event had been held. It was blurry and dark, but still clear enough to make out they were holding hands. To make it look even worse, Cat was kissing her cheek in one of the photos.

Well, at least they hadn’t used any cat puns this time.

“It’s not what it looks like”

“That’s exactly what you said yesterday. Now I’m starting to think it’s exactly what it looks like.” Alex was angry. Kara knew she didn’t like being blindsided by anything, and on top of that she was probably feeling betrayed because Kara hadn’t told her anything about any of these supposed dates.

“You look like Disney princesses. I quite like the photos.” Lucy chimed in as she flipped through the magazine.

“I’m not lying, Alex. Don’t you trust me?”

Her sister looked like she was having an internal debate with herself for a few seconds until she finally gave in. “Of course I trust you. But this doesn’t look good. What the hell were you doing? Why were you even in that stupid fancy gala, you hate that kind of stuff.”

“Cat asked me to go with her to support her. We’re friends.” She pointed at the magazine that was still in Lucy’s hands. “And that is just an emotional moment between friends taken out of context.” Kara really hoped her explanation was enough to convince Alex to let it go. It would be hard to explain more about it when Kara was sure she wouldn’t be able to have a reasonable explanation for everything that had happened that night.

They had spent the entire event avoiding stuffy business men Cat didn’t want to talk to, drinking champagne and it had been the first time she had felt like they were actually equal, like they were actually _friends_.

They had left early, Cat’s signature move, and to Kara’s relief she had suggested they took a walk before heading back home. She hadn’t been ready to end the night either, and so they had strolled through the park as they kept talking. It had been in the middle of a heated conversation about politics, Kara remembered it perfectly, when they’d ended up seating on the bench.

It had also been the night when Kara finally confirmed what Cat already knew and told her she was Supergirl. She hadn’t been able to keep hiding, to keep lying, when it was so clear their relationship had moved on to a whole different level. She couldn’t, and most of all, she didn’t want to keep such a big part of herself from Cat.

That tender moment, in which Cat had thanked her for finally trusting her, was the one the paparazzi had caught on camera.

“We still need to do something about this. We can’t have your face on the tabloids every day, people might start noticing a certain resemblance.” Alex concluded.

“Cat says things like this blow over soon. They’ll find another couple to obsess over and leave us alone. The best thing to do is lay low”

“She may be right.” Lucy conceded. “But we need to be prepared in case it doesn’t. You should be extra careful, in case you’re being followed. And we need to know if more pictures like these might come out.”

Kara quickly shook her head, even if she wasn’t exactly _sure_. She certainly hoped not, because being at CatCo had been hard enough the day before and it didn’t seem it was going to get easier any time soon.

“Okay. I need to go to the lab, and you need to get to work since according to you you’re not the boss’ girlfriend.” Kara rolled her eyes at Alex’s joke, and her sister smirked teasingly at her before leaving.

Lucy didn’t waste any time and as soon as Alex disappeared she turned towards Kara with a knowing smile on her face. “Are you really not with Cat?”

“No! I already said that a million times.” Lucy kept looking at her with a raised eyebrow, making Kara squirm.

“So the restaurant, that wasn’t a date? Even if Cat probably paid because there’s no way you can afford Chez Julien with an assistant’s salary.”

“Junior editor.” Kara corrected her, frowning. “And no. It was just dinner. Between two friends. We mostly talked about work anyway.” Okay, so maybe that last part had been a little white lie, but she was tired of having to explain herself to everyone. Lucy sighed, but she didn’t give up.

“Did you want it to be?”

“What?”

“Did you want it to be a date?” Kara’s silence spoke louder than any words could ever have. “Oh, Kara”

“Promise you won’t tell anyone about this, especially not Alex.”

“I promise.” Lucy said seriously.

“There really is nothing going on. We’ve just gotten closer over the last few months and… I don’t know. It would never happen anyway.” Kara shrugged her shoulders, and Lucy laughed.

“Haven’t you seen the way Cat looks at you? Because there’s even photographic evidence of it now.”

Kara tried her best to forget Lucy’s words. The last thing she needed at the moment was to start second guessing things.

***

Cat hadn’t been this furious since Lois Lane booked the venue she was going to use to celebrate CatCo’s anniversary last year just to mess with her. The editor of _Starks Weekly_ had had the nerve to publish another story about her even after she’d resorted to threatening his life and the happiness of all of his closest family last night. Apparently she’d have to step up her game and arrange for a horse’s head to be left on his bed while he slept if she wanted his tabloid to stop spreading lies and slandering her and Kara.

God, Kara. She had been so embarrassed when she saw the first cover the day before. What was Kara going to think? For some reason she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d blame Cat for everything, that she’d be disgusted just knowing some morons in charge of a magazine thought there was something going on between them, even if deep down she knew Kara was way too kind to ever think such things.

Cat was furious and she felt responsible somehow, because she should have been more careful, shouldn’t have risked Kara being exposed like that. She should have seen it coming somehow.

She sighed in frustration as her fingers pinched on the bridge of her nose. She had to get herself together and focus on work. This whole affair would blow over, those vultures always found something or someone new to pick apart. They’d get bored soon enough and normalcy would come back. She certainly hoped it would be quick, because it hadn’t been one day and she already missed Kara.

They had seen each other the night before, but it had been so stunted and awkward and not like them at all. Over these past few months, Kara had somehow become the person she felt closest to, the one she could trust the most. They’d spent countless nights working together in her office, in silence, and talking about everything when they finished or they were both too tired to keep going. And now it felt like all that trust they’d built was on the brink of breaking into pieces.

Cat couldn’t deny there was some truth to those stupid articles. Maybe she’d found herself staring at Kara for a little too long while the other woman worked beside her, maybe it felt like her breath caught in her throat when their hands grazed each other’s as they examined layouts. But then again, how couldn’t she have developed some kind of romantic feelings for someone so loyal and kind and _beautiful_?

But she was all too aware of their situation. Friendship with Kara was all she could expect, all she could want. And she was perfectly fine with that. She’d much rather have to pretend and be able to enjoy Kara’s companionship than losing it all because she couldn’t get over her ridiculous midlife crisis.

“Miss Grant? You have a meeting in five minutes.” She hadn’t even noticed Emily getting into her office. Cat dismissed her with a wave of her hand, and checked she had everything ready before all the editors came through her door.

The heads of each section of CatCo magazine arrived shortly after, and the reunion began as they explained all the content they were working on. It was going as smoothly as any other meeting, until the head of the sports section tried to contradict her.

“But, Miss Grant, I think it would be really good idea to-“

“Then that proves you wouldn’t know a good idea if it hit you on the head, Christopher.” She cut him off before he kept ranting any longer.

“Damn, we’ll have to tell Danvers to try harder, she’s clearly not doing enough to relax her.” It was barely a whisper, but unfortunately for the man it was just loud enough for Cat to hear.

“What was that?” He paled as he realized she hadn’t missed his remark, and tried to explain himself between mumbles. Cat’s patience ran out shortly after.

“Get out. Go to your desk, take all the crap you must have stored there over the years and leave my building. You’re fired.”

“What? You can’t fire me.” His mumbling stopped as anger took over him.

“I just did. Don’t make me call security.” He managed to hold her stare for no more than two seconds before turning around and leaving with the little dignity he had left, screaming something about how she was going to regret this.

“That will be all.” Cat calmly said, as if nothing had happened, and the rest of her employees hurried to leave the office quicker than usual. 

Cat went straight to the container where she kept her M&Ms and filled a glass with them. She was going to need something to get through today and drinking in the middle of the day made her feel like her mother, so the chocolate would have to do. It had been a rash decision to fire the head of the sports section, but at least she hoped it served as a cautionary tale for others who had anything to say about the rumors.

“Did you just fire Christopher?” Kara’s voice coming from behind startled her, and she glared at her as she picked a handful of M&M’s and started popping them in her mouth

“I fired a misogynistic moron, if that’s Christopher then sure, I did.” For some reason, Kara seemed kind of angry about it. . And Kara was rarely angry, so Cat knew then this wasn’t going to be a pleasant drop by.

“I know why you did. The whole office is talking about it.”

“Then why did you come and ask?”

“You can’t do that.” Cat stopped eating, set her glass on the table, and without a word she walked to the balcony in search of more privacy, expecting Kara to follow her.

“Maybe all those articles have left you a little confused, but I _am_ your boss. You don’t get to tell me what I can and what I cannot do.” She coldly said, pointing at Kara, who realized she might have gone a little too far and tried a different approach even if she still seemed to be mad.

“It was not a good idea to fire him.”

“He was an asshole. And he wasn’t even that good at his job.”

“It’s not that! Don’t you see? Now everyone will think it’s true!”

So that’s what everything was about. It was dumb, but it still hurt a little to see just how reluctant Kara was to being associated with Cat in that way. She shouldn’t blame her, Cat told herself. She wouldn’t want everyone to think she was sleeping with the boss either.

“Everyone already thinks it’s true. Now maybe they won’t make any more comments about you sleeping your way to the top in fear of losing their jobs, you’re welcome.”

“I don’t need you to defend me.” Kara frowned. “I don’t care if they think I’m doing that.”

“Then it’s just them thinking I’m your girlfriend that you can’t stand.” As deep as Cat buried her insecurities, they always managed to find their way out anyway.

“That’s not what I said at all-“

“You should leave.” Cat cut her off, her tone making it clear the conversation was over. “We wouldn’t want anyone to get any ideas about us being here alone.”

“Fine. Whatever, _Miss Grant_.” Kara huffed, exasperated, and Cat turned around to face the city as she left.


	3. Chapter 3

The _Stars Weekly_ mess was starting to screw up not only her personal relationships but also her productivity at work and Cat Grant would not let that happen. She’d endured an interview with Donald Trump without stabbing him with a pen, she wouldn’t let a nasty tabloid headline affect her this way.  But to get back her focus she probably needed to fix things with Kara, and apologies were one of the few things she had never quite mastered.

After sending Emily home for the day, she decided to stop overthinking it and just go over to the other woman’s office and figure out then where to go from there. It was just Kara, how difficult could it be? She’d seen Cat at her worst and for some reason still wanted to spend time with her voluntarily.

She took a deep breath before knocking on the door and opening it, her nonchalant façade perfectly in place by the time Kara looked up from her computer screen to see her come in.

“I’ve come to apologize. For the way I spoke to you before.” She cut right to the chase, and Kara’s face remained impenetrable as she stepped closer to her desk. “It was not fair, I know. This is being hard for both of us, and the last thing I wanted was to make your situation at work more difficult.” She stared at Kara, waiting for her to speak her mind something. Saying that had been hard enough and she hoped she would at least appreciate the effort.

After a few moments of silence Kara sighed, her shoulders sagging. “I don’t like being angry at you. So I guess I’ll have to accept your apology.” She said with a small smile, and Cat felt as relieved as if an actual weight had lifted from her shoulders. “I’m sorry for being disrespectful.”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry, I won’t fire you. The press would turn on me for breaking your heart.” She dared to joke, and was rewarded with a chuckle.

“I hate all of this. I just want things to be normal, like before. These months, it’s been really nice you know.” Kara said a little hesitantly, glancing up at her from her seat.

Cat leaned on her desk, thankful for and hating at the same time the distance it put between them. “I know.”

 “And this… stupid lie, I’m afraid it’s going to mess everything up.”

“It’s not.” Cat quickly reassured her. She couldn’t stand the sad look on Kara’s eyes as she said that. “Everyone will forget about it soon enough.”

Everyone but Cat, of course. God, this was torture. Having to pretend that what those articles said sounded like utter madness to her when she’d fantasized a little too much about being able to do all of that, taking Kara out on dates, being together. Not to mention ignoring all the times Kara had given her the slightest indication that she might feel the same and she’d had to convince herself she was just imagining things out of desperation. Even if it was real, nothing could ever happen between them.

She would ruin Kara, ruin _them_ , and she could stand pretending if it meant that never happened.

“I certainly hope so. I liked going to that French restaurant and it’s not like I can afford it with the miserable salary my boss pays me.” Cat smiled, she liked how Kara had grown comfortable enough with her to tease her like that.

“Your boss was the one taking you out to dinner so you better not complain too much.”

“Alright, alright.” Kara laughed, and Cat felt more at ease with her than she had been since the fake exclusive came out. She wished there was some way she could stay for a little longer, but she was already late and her driver was probably waiting downstairs.

“I promised Carter I’d be there for dinner tonight. I should go.”

“Sure, I was just about to leave anyway. It’s movie night with Alex.” Kara said as she picked up her cellphone and the few things she had scattered over the desk and put them in her bag. Cat waited until she was ready so they could leave together.

“Don’t eat too much pizza.” Cat said, just like she had many times before, just to get a rise out of Kara.

“I have already told you I need way more food than humans. And that it doesn’t affect my health at all.” Their bickering continued all the way down the elevator, until they stopped in front of Cat’s car and stood awkwardly next to each other for a few seconds, not quite knowing how to say goodbye.

“See you tomorrow.” Cat told her, offering one last brief smile before she started walking towards the vehicle.

“I’m not embarrassed, you know.” Kara blurted out nervously after she’d only taken a few steps.

“What?”

“About everyone thinking I’m your girlfriend.”

Cat would deny it for the rest of her life, but she felt like she was blushing almost as hard as Kara was in that moment.

God, this was _torture_.

***

A few days had passed an everyone in the office was starting to focus on their own problems and Kara hadn’t had to deal with many more remarks like Christopher’s, only the few whispers about her she was only able to catch thanks to her super hearing. Of course, she didn’t tell Cat anything about them or else she feared CatCo would quickly become understaffed. It was only natural that people gossiped, and most of the time it didn’t really affect her.

It was a Friday and she was flying back home after spending a couple hours trying to capture yet another Fort Rozz escapee when she noticed the lights in Cat’s office were still on. She knew it had been a busy week for her boss, financial reports had been presented and a lot of adjustments had to be made, and of course Cat wanted to oversee everything even if it was almost technically impossible. A little worried, Kara changed course and landed on the balcony just to check if everything was alright. Even if Cat was probably just working late, it was past midnight and she should have been home a long time ago.

As she had guessed, Cat was sitting on one of the sofas, examining carefully a thick bundle of papers in her hand. There was a glass on the table filled only with some half melt ice, and her high heels had been discarded and laid on the floor. She was so engrossed with whatever documents she was reading she didn’t even notice Kara standing there until knocked on the frame of the door to alert of her presence.

“Isn’t it a little late to be still here working?”

Cat quickly relaxed when she saw who had interrupted her, and a tired smile made its way to her face.

“I didn’t know it was also Supergirl’s job to rescue executives from paperwork.” Kara shrugged her shoulders and walked into the office towards the other woman, with a confidence she only seemed to possess when she was wearing the suit.

“It looks pretty dangerous. If it fell it might cause an earthquake.” She pointed at all the piles of paper stacked on the table. “Maybe I could help.” She offered as she sat down next to her.

“Unless you have a secret accounting superpower, I’m afraid you can’t.” Cat joked, leaning back on the couch and letting out a deep sigh. Kara looked at her, worried, and even with her eyes closed Cat seemed to be able to sense it. “I’m okay, just tired.”

“You’re working too hard. This all will still be here in the morning.”

“In the morning it will be too late.” Kara knew too well how stubborn Cat was and how useless it would be to try and convince her of leaving anything for tomorrow, so she quickly gave up on that strategy.

“Well then, even if I might not be able to help I could still offer some company.” She said taking a seat next to her. Cat opened her eyes and looked at her over the rim of her glasses. “Aren’t you tired? I heard about the alien incident.”

“Supergirl is never tired.” She grinned as if to prove she was perfectly alright.

“Are you sure? Because I distinctly remember you falling asleep on your desk once after you’d been up all night.” Cat teased her, but didn’t insist further or tried to convince her otherwise. Probably because she knew Kara could be just as stubborn as her when she wanted to.

“It must have been some other assistant.” Cat shook her head and hummed non-committally before going back to her reports.

While she worked, Kara borrowed her tablet so she could entertain herself despite Cat mocking her for playing games as if she was a child. Time was spent in a comfortable silence, and although she _was_ kind of tired from the fight Kara was glad she’d stopped by. Even if she couldn’t convince Cat to take a break, being there and able to keep an eye on her made her feel better.

She was thinking about how she was going to let her work only for one more hour or else she would threaten to fly her home herself to make sure she at least got some sleep when she felt a sudden weight on her shoulder.

Cat had fallen asleep, the reports still in her hand, and her head was now resting on Kara’s shoulder, who smiled and allowed herself to stroke her hair tenderly for a brief moment before picking her up carefully on her arms and carrying her to the balcony bridal style.

When Cat woke up the next morning, it was in her own bed and tucked in, but still dressed in yesterday’s clothes and without any memory of getting back home. She groggily sat up, rubbed her eyes and noticed there was a small piece of paper on her nightstand.

_“Don’t work yourself too hard this weekend, Supergirl can’t always be there to save you from sleeping on an uncomfortable couch._

_Take care, and see you on Monday :)_

_-K.”_

If Cat spent all day with a stupid smile on her face it certainly wasn’t because of a note with an _emoji_ on it, or at least that’s what she would try to tell herself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter four! This one is a little longer than the last, hope you guys enjoy it!

Saturday nights with Alex were usually spent catching up on their TV shows and eating way too many Chinese take out, and that one was no exception. They were talking over the boring parts of the Game of Thrones episode they were watching, making up for the lost time since they hadn’t been able to see each other much that week.

The whole night Kara had been noticing some weird looks from Alex, until she couldn’t stand the staring anymore and paused the episode before turning to face her. “What is it?” She asked, leaving the container with her noodles on the coffee table.

“How was work this week?” She could tell Alex was trying to be sneaky and completely failing at it. For someone who was used to interrogating suspects, she really sucked at this.“No more problems with Cat?”

“No.” Kara answered carefully, not liking where the conversation was going. “In fact, we talked about it and things are pretty much the way they were before.” Alex’s gaze was on her, making her feel scrutinized.

“And how exactly were things before?”

Kara sighed. “I’ve already told you, Alex. We’re friends. What are you trying to say?”

“That I’m your sister. And I know you, and I know something is going on with Cat. Maybe it’s not what those articles said but-“

“Why can’t you believe me?” Kara interrupted her, beginning to get irritated by what felt like an interrogation.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you. It’s just sometimes you’re a little too trusting for you own good and-“

“Stop it. I’m not a child.” Alex tried to speak calmly to her, as if that would soften the blow, but Kara hated it when she talked down on her and became too overprotective.

“I know you’re not but maybe she does want something more from you, and I don’t want you to feel like you have to-“ Kara was appalled at the insinuation, and quickly refuted it.

“Cat would never do something like that. And don’t worry, there’s no chance someone like her would be interested like that in someone like me.” She replied bitterly. Alex’s eyes widened as realization hit her.

“Oh my God. You like her.” Kara looked away. She felt her cheeks burning up, because of the anger that had built up during the discussion or maybe because she was embarrassed that her sister had found out about her secret so easily, she wasn’t sure.

“Are you happy now that you know? Can we stop this stupid conversation now?” Alex softened and her eyes filled with a pity Kara couldn’t stand to see.

“I’m sorry. I just worry about you, you know that.” Kara nodded. She still felt ashamed and vulnerable but didn’t pull away when her sister tugged her into a hug.

“I know you don’t like her but she’s really good to me.” Even without looking at her, she knew Alex was biting her tongue so she wouldn’t say anything more about it yet and let her talk. “She’s a great friend. And that’s all she’ll ever be so there’s no need for you to get a shotgun.” Kara joked weakly. “I need her, Alex. She helps me so much, she always has. She seems tough and she is, but deep down she cares so deeply. And since my promotion she’s been…” Kara sighed, not knowing how to fully convey all the ways in which Cat had been there for her. “I couldn’t help it.”

Alex remained quiet for a few seconds, and Kara was afraid for a second that she would go on another rant about how terrible Cat Grant actually was. Luckily, her impromptu speech was apparently able to at least make her think twice about it.

“Alright. But if she does become something more someday, promise you will tell me? I know I haven’t been the greatest sister about all of this, but I promise I’ll try my best to improve from now on. I don’t like you feeling like you can’t talk to me about something.”

“Okay, I promise.” It wasn’t like it was going to happen anytime soon, or at all. Alex pressed a kiss to her hair and held her tighter for a few seconds before releasing her to grab her chopsticks again and steal a potsticker from Kara.

“Hey!” She protested, even if she was actually grateful for her sister relieving the tension. “Give that back. Or else…”

“You’ll call your girlfriend?” Alex teased, leaving Kara speechless for just enough time to push the whole potsticker in her mouth while she struggled not to laugh.

“Not fair.” Kara grumbled. Alex almost choked on it, but she still looked too smug. “You’ll pay for that.”

“We’ll see, Supergirl.”

***

“It’s been three hours since the last sighting and Supergirl’s whereabouts remain unknown. She was reportedly fighting against an unknown entity near the coast when she went missing. We’re waiting for some good news and working to keep you updated on the latest-”

Cat wanted to turned off the TV. She had been watching the same images of the fight and Supergirl falling into the sea for the last hours, unable to do anything else as she felt incredibly impotent. There was nothing she could do but hope and try to ignore the knot in her stomach that almost made it hard to breath.

Kara was missing. She didn’t know what had happened, if they’d found her, or if she was alright. She didn’t have anyone to call and ask, and was mad at herself for never asking for her sister’s number. She knew, from what had been implied during their conversations, that Kara worked with some sort of government force and that her sister was a part of it, but nothing else. And now, Kara could not be coming back and the only way she’d know was because she wouldn’t be at work the next day.

Cat was so desperate she had even called James Olsen, assuming he’d have more information or at least access to it, but he wasn’t answering. The only thing she was able to do was worry, and it was driving her crazy. She was grateful for once that Carter was spending the night at his father’s, because she didn’t know how well she’d be able to comfort him at the moment.

With shaky hands, she fixed herself a drink, knowing it wouldn’t help much but at least it gave her something to do other than focus on the worst possible outcomes. She tried to pour herself two fingers of scotch, but ended up spilling half of it because she couldn’t keep her hands still and cursed out loud, setting the glass back on the minibar so violently she almost cracked the glass.

“Cat.” A weak voice sounded from behind her making her almost jump because of the scare, and she quickly turned around to find Kara, still dressed as Supergirl, in the middle of her living room. She’d left the balcony door open in the vague hope she’d be able to see her flying around, but somehow she’d gotten in so quietly she hadn’t heard her.

“My God, Kara.” She rushed to her, needing to check, to _feel_ she was still there with her and she hadn’t lost her. Her hands cupped her face carefully, and when she looked closely at her she noticed the vacant expression on the other woman’s face. “What’s wrong? What are you doing here?” Her voice was soft but insistent. Kara still seemed quite out of it, until her eyes finally focused on Cat’s.

“Cat. I’m sorry. I wanted you to know I was fine.”

“It’s okay.” She reassured her, tracing her cheekbone with her thumb gently. “What happened?”

After her question, Kara seemed to blank out again and Cat’s heart clenched. This wasn’t normal, and she had no clue what was going on or what to do. Gently, she managed to lead her to the couch and made her sit down with her.

“Kara. I think you might need a doctor.” Her pupils were fully blown and when Cat lifted her hand to her forehead she found it was burning up.

“No doctors. I’m fine.” She shook her head forcefully, and turned to look at Cat with something akin to desperation in her eyes. “I’m fine.” She repeated.

“You’re _not_ fine. You’re sick, something has happened to you.” Cat insisted, and tried to get up so she could get her phone and call someone but suddenly Kara’s hand had gripped her wrists and she couldn’t move. It didn’t hurt, but she knew trying to get out would be useless against the Kryptonian’s strength. 

“Cat.” Kara repeated, in a low voice and staring at her with an intensity Cat had never seen before in her.

“What are you doing, I need to-“ Her words got caught in her throat when Kara started leaning into her, so slowly she didn’t notice at the beginning. She didn’t even feel her wrists being released until Kara’s hand moved to rest against her neck, caressing it lightly. Cat’s heart was beating so wildly she thought Kara would have been able to hear it even without her powers, and no matter how many times her mind instructed her body to move, it wouldn’t cooperate. Kara’s nose brushed against hers when she stopped, so close Cat could feel her breath on her lips.

It couldn’t have been more than a couple of seconds, but it felt like an eternity to Cat. She’d thought about this a thousand times, but now it felt so wrong. This couldn’t happen, especially not like this. She closed her eyes. “Kara, please, don’t.” It was barely a whisper, but it seemed to snap Kara right out of whatever state she was in. She rapidly leaned away looking half-horrified, half-confused. Cat didn’t want to dwell on it, clearly something was wrong and that was the only reason why that had almost happened. She certainly didn’t want to dwell on the fact that she had wanted it so badly.

“We need to call your sister.” Cat got up to grab her phone and handed it to Kara so she’d type the number, doing her best to act as if nothing had happened. When Kara was done, she took the phone back, figuring Kara wasn’t be in a condition to do much talking.

“Danvers.”

“Agent Danvers, this is Cat Grant. I’m calling to tell you your sister is here with me, she… she’s acting strangely.”

“You have Kara?” She could hear the relief even through the phone. “Where are you now?”  

“I’m at my house, do you need the adre-“

“We’ll be there to pick her up shortly.” Alex hung up at her, and Cat was left staring at the phone irritated. She hated it when people did that.

“Alex is coming?” Kara’s voice was weak again, and she appeared to be having trouble staying conscious, leaning against the couch with her eyes half-closed. Her hand moved towards Cat’s, and she relaxed a little when the other woman took it between her own.

“She is. You’ll be fine soon enough.” Cat reassured her, trying to keep her calm until her sister arrived.

“It hurts.” Kara murmured, closing her eyes and tightening her grip on Cat’s hands as much as she could in her weakened state. Not knowing what to say to make her feel better, the only thing Cat could do was scoot closer and hold her as Kara’s body tensed up from the pain and whisper soothing nonsense to her as she used to do whenever Carter was sick.

True to her word, Alex arrived soon enough, accompanied by four other agents who put Supergirl on a gurney. “Where are you taking her?” She placed herself in front of Alex, she wouldn’t let her go without knowing what was going to happen to Kara.

“It’s classified.” Alex replied curtly.

“Will she be okay?”

“It’s classified.”

“Cut the bullshit.” Cat seethed. “I’ve spent half the day thinking she could be dead, I’m done with not knowing. Tell me what’s happening to her.” Alex looked at her for a few seconds before deciding it would be quicker just to give the woman what she wanted, even if she still had some reservations about her, tonight she had proven herself trustworthy taking care of Kara.

“The alien she was fighting, it managed to infect her with some kind of poison. It causes fever, hallucinations. It can be fatal if not treated, but we already have the antidote. Now if you would be so kind to let us leave so we can save her.” Cat quickly stepped aside, satisfied with the response, but still looking at Kara with her eyes full of concern.

“Alex.” She added before closing the back door from which they were sneaking Kara out so no one would see anything suspicious. “Could you please send me a message when she’s out of danger?”

From what Alex knew about Cat Grant, she was pretty sure the woman never begged for anything. And seeing how truly shaken she seemed to be, she’d had have to be heartless to refuse her request. “Sure.”

Cat nodded and watched them get into a black van before closing the door. Now she _really_ needed a drink.

***

Kara woke up disoriented at the DEO. The first things was she noticed were the fact that she was on a sun bed, and that Alex was right next to her. She could hear her familiar heartbeat. She tried to sit up, but a hand on her shoulder prevented her from doing so.

“Take it easy.” Alex said, unable to keep the relief out of her voice now that she had woken up.

“Everything hurts. What happened?” Kara frowned, her whole body ached and she struggled to remember how she had ended up there. The last thing she could remember was being next to Cat, hearing her voice whispering to her that everything would be okay.

“You were poisoned. You escaped before we could treat you and went straight to your boss. Then you got worse and she called so we’d get you.” Kara lifted her hand to cover her eyes. What was wrong with her? She suddenly remembered the need to go see Cat and let her know she was fine, even though she clearly hadn’t been.

“Cat called you?” She was slowly putting the pieces together, but it was taking her a while since most of the night was a blur.

“Apparently you gave her my number. Which has proved to be a very bad idea since she’s been texting me for updates every hour. Does this woman even sleep?” Kara groaned, feeling more embarrassed with every second that passed.

“Don’t worry, I already told your girlfriend you’ve woken up and seem to be fine.”

“Don’t make jokes about that, please.” Kara’s stomach fell to her feet when she remembered the almost kiss. She had tried to kiss her boss. Cat, who everyone already thought she was dating, and she had feelings for. Cat, who was probably really freaked out after Kara pretty much threw herself at her and most likely wouldn’t want to be alone with her ever again. “I messed up, Alex. I really did.”

“The poison is out of your system now, you only need a little rest.” Alex told her.

“I’m not talking about that. I almost kissed her. While I was all.” Kara made some vague gestures with her hands before using them to cover her face again.

“Oh.” Alex was left speechless as she tried to process what her sister just told her. “You can always say you didn’t know what you were doing. Which, considering the situation, is actually true. She won’t hold it against you.”

“It was awful. I was awful.”

“You weren’t yourself. And if she was going to hate you for it she wouldn’t have spent up all night texting me _‘How is Kara?’_ ” Alex showed her the phone’s screen so she’d see all the messages. “It will be okay.” She took her sister’s hand and squeezed it gently. “Now get some more rest.”

“Okay.” Kara tried to make herself comfortable again, and clear her mind of all the worries. She was thankful all the stress her body had been through had left her so tired it didn’t take long for her to fall asleep again and she didn’t have to spend more time worrying about what was going to happen the next time she saw Cat.


	5. Chapter 5

A couple of weeks had passed and things were apparently back to normal at CatCo. Pretty much everyone had forgotten about the articles, even if most of the office still thought they were true it had already become old news. 

Cat and Kara acted as usual, neither of them had brought up what had happened the night of the poisoning. Cat thought Kara might not remember, and Kara hoped Cat would pretend forever to have forgotten everything about it.

When Cat had seen Kara next after the night at her house it had been at work, so she had repressed the urge to run and hug her and make sure she was really fine and merely asked her quietly when they had a brief moment alone together. Kara had nodded and given her a small smile that helped Cat calm down a little.

No matter how hard she tried, though, she couldn’t stop replaying what had happened that night in her mind. How Kara had looked at her like she was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. How soft her lips had looked, how tenderly she had caressed her neck as she leaned closer. And she had wanted it so badly, that if the circumstances had been different and Kara wasn’t clearly under the influence of something she was sure she wouldn’t have been able to put a stop to it.

But she had to remember, it had all been the poison. Kara hadn’t known what she was doing, or she clearly wouldn’t have tried to kiss her.

Thinking all that made it made it hurt even more.

Cat was nothing but professional and good at compartmentalizing so, she carried on as if nothing extraordinary had happened between them. She gave Kara advice, they stayed late working together and she told her about how Carter was doing at school. Everything was fine, until of course Kara had to bring it up on a Thursday when they were having lunch at Cat’s balcony while talking about her latest article on Supergirl.

“I never thanked you for that night.” Kara started, her gaze still focused on her salad as she picked at it.

“What night?” Cat played dumb, she knew exactly what Kara was talking about and her defenses built right up.

“The night I was poisoned. And I showed up at your place looking as if I had been trying drugs.” She joked weakly, her smile vanishing when she got no positive reaction from Cat. She wondered if she was really messing up by talking about it, but she couldn’t keep quiet about it any longer. She felt awful about it and needed to apologize.

“I do remember what happened. I hadn’t said anything because I didn’t want things to be weird, but I really want to say sorry.”

Cat wondered if Kara was hearing how her heartbeat picked up, desperately hoping she wasn’t. “It’s okay. You weren’t yourself, I don’t blame you for that.”

“Still. I’m sorry for making you feel uncomfortable and...”

“Kara.” She said with more intent. “You don’t have to apologize. It’s like it never happened.” Kara stared at her for a few long seconds, as if searching for any kind of sign that Cat wasn’t being totally honest. She didn’t seem to find anything, because she ended up nodding and looking down again.

The silence afterwards was awkward, and Kara wished she’d kept her mouth shut. Luckily, Cat soon started talking about her last meeting with the board and complaining about how stupid most of them were. Her hilariously elaborate insults gave her a sense of normalcy and it wasn’t long until she was laughing again, their previous conversation seemingly forgotten.

Cat glanced at her out of the corner of her eye as she ranted about the board members and how much she despised them, hiding a fond smile when she saw Kara laughing. It made the hurt much more bearable.

***

_“Searching For The Purrfect Ring?_

_Cat Grant was spotted leaving one of National City’s most exclusive jewelries, known for their spectacular engagements rings. Is she planning on tying the knot with her new girlfriend?”_

Kara sighed as she scrolled through the _Stars Weekly_ webpage. She guessed she had been naïve to think they wouldn’t publish anything else about Cat and her, but luckily at this point it seemed so ridiculous she didn’t feel the anxiety she had gone through the previous times.

“They have ruined my surprise proposal.” Cat’s voice made her look away from her computer, and Kara smiled at the woman standing under the doorframe of her office.

“I hope you’ve at least bought me a ring with a huge diamond on it.” Kara said, continuing the joke but not without blushing slightly.

“Well, of course. Cat Grant wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less.” She said as she entered the office, closing the door behind her, and sat on the chair in front of Kara’s desk.

“Are you here for the layouts? It might take me a little longer than planned, it turns out someone actually has no idea of how things are supposed to go or how to pick decent photos.”

“Actually, I was here to ask if you would come have dinner at my house tonight.” Cat said before she got into more detail. Kara seemed surprised at the proposition, and she quickly tried to clarify just in case. “I mean, Carter wants you to come. He’s been asking for weeks, and I realize today might not be the best day.” She glanced at Kara’s computer screen still showing the article. “But he made me promise yesterday I would ask you today.”

Kara’s surprise was replaced by a joyous smile almost immediately after she heard it had been Carter’s request. It had been ages since she’d seen him, and she’d missed him as well. He was such a sweet kid, and when Cat had decided to let her babysit again after the whole train fiasco they’d had an amazing time whenever they were together.

“I’d love to.” Cat allowed herself a pleased smile, it would make Carter really happy to hear Kara was coming, and, if she had to be honest, she didn’t dislike the idea either. Kara had been over for dinner a couple of times, but it had always been because she’d had to stay late looking after Carter and they had convinced her to stay and eat since she was already there.

“Great. Dinner is at eight, don’t be late.” Cat said as she stood back up and smoothed down her tight skirt. “And don’t make excuses, I still want those layouts on my desk by the end of today.” She reminded her, slipping back into her professional role.

“Of course, Miss Grant.” Kara nodded, going back to work but unable to wipe the silly smile off her face for the rest of the morning.

***

Kara stood nervously at Cat’s front door, trying to fix her hair, which was already perfectly fine, with one hand while with the other she held the dessert she had picked up on the way from her apartment. She’d ran to her place after getting out of work to change into something nicer and buy something so she wouldn’t appear empty handed. Maybe she was making it a bigger deal than it actually was, Alex had made fun of her when she’d seen how nervous she was, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted tonight to go smoothly and to avoid any more awkward situations.

When she was sure she looked presentable, Kara rang the bell and way faster than she expected the door opened and she found herself being hugged by Carter. “Kara! I’m so glad you’re here.” He said excitedly.

“I am too, buddy.” She smiled brightly, following him inside as he tugged her hand and lead her into the kitchen so she could leave the dessert in the fridge.

“We’re having lasagna for dinner.” He said, pointing at the oven which was still on.

“It smells amazing.” Kara said, trying to sneak a peek while it cooked until she noticed Cat had walked in and rapidly straightened herself.

“Hey. I brought something, it’s already in the fridge.”

“How thoughtful of you.” Cat smirked, discreetly admiring Kara in the red dress she was wearing. She couldn’t resist it, not when she looked so beautiful despite the simplicity of the outfit. “I told our housekeeper to make more than usual, I know about your appetite.” She teased her. Kara blushed, and was about to reply when Carter chimed in.

“Mom, can I show Kara my new videogames?”

“Sure, sweetheart. You can play for a little bit until dinner’s ready, I’ll keep an eye on it.” With his mother’s approval, Carter ushered Kara away to his room. He had already kicked her ass at least three times when Cat call them to go back to the table, and he told her all about how he had beaten Kara at Mario Kart while she served them generous portions.

During dinner, all of Kara’s nerves disappeared. She felt so comfortable with them it was easy to forget why she had been so skittish in the first place. Carter was the one who talked the most, about how he was doing at school and about his latest science project, while Kara and Cat asked him more questions. It never failed to amaze Cat how at ease Carter appeared to be with Kara, when it usually was so hard for him to socialize.

When they had all finished, and Kara had had a couple more servings, Cat had brought out the dessert, tiramisu, which she knew was Cat’s favorite. She had given Kara an appreciative smile, which the other woman had shyly returned.

“It’s really good, Kara.” Carter told her as he practically engulfed it. Kara smiled when Cat echoed the sentiment.

“Well, of course. I know you mom has high standards.” She winked at him, making him laugh while Cat rolled her eyes.

“It’s getting late, and it’s a school night.” She said looking pointedly at her son, who complained but didn’t put too much of a fight before heading to his room for the night. He said goodbye to Kara and hugged her tightly. Cat looked fondly at them until Carter let Kara go to walk over to his mother, who gave him a kiss on the forehead. “Don’t stay up reading for too long.” She warned him and Carter nodded and smiled innocently before leaving.

***

“He’s a great kid.” Kara said, still smiling, after they’d settled on the couch with a glass of wine. She wasn’t a big fan, but she had accepted Cat’s offering anyway because it would give her something to do with her hands. Cat had insisted she stayed for a little longer, claiming it was still early, and she hadn’t been able to refuse.

But this was new territory for them, it was one thing to have lunch at Cat’s office and it was entirely something else to be in her living room, alone with her after having shared a meal with his son. She remember perfectly what had happened the last time they’d been together on that couch, and because of that she was mindful to keep a respectful distance.

“Yes, he is.” Cat smiled softly. It felt like such a privilege, Kara thought, to be able to be with her while she was just _Cat_ , relaxed at her home and seeing the gentleness and love with which she treated her son. “I’m really lucky.”

“I think he’s really lucky to have you.” Cat raised her gaze to her with a look in her eyes that made Kara shift in her seat, and she took a sip of her wine to distract herself. They sat in comfortable silence, only disturbed by the background noise of the TV that was on, showing one of those annoying game shows Kara usually found boring.

“How do they pick such stupid people?” Cat grumbled when a contestant failed to give a correct answer for the third time in a row. “The answer is clearly 1987!” Kara chuckled at how seriously Cat seemed to be taking the game all of a sudden. When the contestant gave a wrong answer again, they revealed Cat had indeed been right and she smiled smugly.

“You must have been such a nerd in high school.” She blurted out before she could think twice, and covered her mouth when she realized what she’d just said.

“Excuse you?” Cat turned to give her a murderous glare that a few months ago would have made Kara flee, but in that moment it just made it harder to keep herself from laughing. “I was not a nerd in high school. In fact, I was a cheerleader.” Kara couldn’t hold back anymore and she started laughing. Cat picked up a pillow and hit her with it to make her stop, but it only made her laugh harder.

“I’m sorry.” She breathed out as she calmed down, while Cat glared at her with her arms crossed. “A cheerleader, really?”

“Yes. And, before you ask, I had all the evidence from those years destroyed.” Cat grumbled. “I don’t know why you find it so funny when you probably were the biggest nerd in your school.” Kara would have taken offense if she hadn’t been so amused by the whole thing.

“Maybe, but I had a sister that would kick anyone’s ass to defend me so.” She shrugged her shoulders, and Cat just shook her head and turned her attention back to the TV. It didn’t take long for her to become angry at the contestants for their ineptitude once more, and soon Kara joined her in answering the questions, until it evolved into a competition between the two of them to see who could be the fastest giving the right answer.

They got so caught up they didn’t notice how late it had gotten until Kara looked at the clock hanging on the wall. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was so late. I didn’t want to impose.” She apologized, standing up and trying to remember where she had left her bag when she arrived.

“You didn’t impose. It was fun.” Cat said, making Kara stop fidgeting.

“Really?”

“Really, Kara.” She rolled her eyes, which only made her smile brighter. “It’s really late. You could stay here for the night, you know. It’s not like we don’t have rooms to spare.” Kara felt torn. She really wanted to stay, but her better judgement was telling her to go back home. It was already too complicated between her and Cat, but then again, she had offered. And Cat Grant didn’t offer anything lightly.

“I don’t know…”

“Just stay. You can go home in the morning before work.” Cat insisted, and Kara’s weak resolve to say no crumbled.

“Fine. If you insist.”

“I do.” She did look mildly pleased with herself, and she guided Kara to one of the guest bedrooms. Despite the fact that it clearly hadn’t been used in a while, it was impeccable and perfectly decorated, in the same elegant and homey fashion the whole house was. “You should be able to find some clothes to sleep in in the closet.” She pointed at it. “And towels, in case you want to take a shower tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks for letting me stay.” Truth be told, she was kind of tired after they day she’d had. And she’d left the suit at home, so she couldn’t have just flied out and been there in a couple of minutes.

“It’s nothing.” Cat replied shrugging her shoulders. She hovered by her door for a few more seconds. “Good night, Kara.” She softly said before leaving.

“Night, Cat.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a little longer to post than usual, I'm sorry! And I don't know when I'll able to post the next chapter because I'm on vacation with my girlfriend but I promise it won't be too long until it's up. Hope you enjoy this one! Thank you for all your comments I really appreciate them!

Kara got up early the next day, and quietly searched for the nearest bathroom to take a shower in. It felt a little weird to be at Cat’s home while she slept, so she planned on leaving a note and leaving as soon as possible without making a fuss, but when she got out of the bathroom, thankfully fully dressed, she crossed paths with Cat who was heading to Carter’s room to wake him up. She was pretty sure her heart skipped a few beats after seeing Cat in loose pajamas, with her hair still mussed from sleeping. She was beautiful, and Kara couldn’t help thinking she wouldn’t mind being able to enjoy that view every morning.  

“Good morning.” She said cheerfully, while Cat barely managed to respond with a grunt. It was a well-known fact she wasn’t a morning person, especially not before her first latte.   

“You can grab something for breakfast if you’re hungry.” She said as she walked past Kara, whose stomach grumbling gave her away before she could say she was fine, and she had no other choice but to agree.   

When she got to the kitchen she decided that since Cat had been so nice letting her stay, she really should do something to make up for it. She wasn’t really good at cooking, Alex usually used the word menace to describe her culinary abilities, but over the years she had acquired enough experience to make pretty decent pancakes. By the time Cat showed up, perfectly dressed and with impeccable hair this time, she was almost finishing the last batch and there was fresh coffee in the pot.  

“What are you doing?” She looked around with a frown, she never had time to make proper food in the mornings so this was an unusual sight. 

“Breakfast?” Kara smiled, a little unsurely. “It’s almost ready. Is Carter coming soon? Because otherwise they’re going to get cold, and…”  

Cat opened her mouth, and was about to say something that she hadn’t exactly figured out yet when the doorbell rang. “Who the hell” She muttered under her breath, and pointed at Kara to signal she stayed in the kitchen while she went to get it. Kara shrugged her shoulders, and figured out that since she had gone this far the only thing left to do was finish setting up the table and waiting.  

“So it is true.” She heard a familiar voice say, and she turned around to find Katherine Grant staring at her with more disdain than she’d thought a simple look could convey. Cat appeared right behind her, looking nothing less than furious Apparently Katherine had somehow slipped past her, very clearly against her will. “Mother. I already told you, you are not welcome here anymore.” 

“But who else is going to make you come to your senses? It’s one thing to have a little fun on the side, discreetly, but to have it published? To bring this… _girl_ to your home, where your son lives. Honestly, Kitty, I’m appalled. Don’t you have any decency left?” 

Kara had heard enough. Cat was almost shaking with rage, but she appeared to be unable to voice it, and Kara hated the woman since the last time she visited Cat. She had seen how she treated her daughter, how she kept hurting her with cruel words and didn’t even seem to care that she did. She straightened her back, unconsciously channeling her alter ego, and took a step towards Katherine.  

“I think you should leave.”  

“Who are you to tell me that?” She looked shocked that Kara had dared to speak to her like that, and glanced at Cat as if she was expecting to do something about it, but her daughter looked just as surprised.  

“Cat has told you she doesn’t want you here. So you need to leave.” Kara was hoping Katherine would give up and not make a bigger scene, the last thing she wanted was for things to get uglier. Unfortunately, she wasn’t that lucky.  

“What are you after? Her money? Her power? I will not let you do this to my daughter. She might be blinded by your youth, and your good looks but I’m not.” Katherine almost hissed. 

“Don’t pretend you’ve come here out of concern for her. I’ve seen how you treat her. You only care about your reputation, and how this might affect you.” Kara’s voice remained low, but colder than Cat had ever heard it be. “Your daughter is an amazing woman. And I will not let you come here and hurt her again because you don’t even deserve to be in the same room as her.”  

That made Katherine shut up, at least for a few seconds. “You poor fool. You actually love her.” She laughed bitterly. “It won’t last, you know that right? She’ll break you, just like she did with all the ones before you. You should run while you can.” Out of the corner of her eye, Kara caught a glimpse of Cat’s face when her mother said those words, and that was the turning point. She hated the flash of hurt that crossed her features, and worst of all, the resignation, as if she believed it to be true. 

Kara’s fists were curled so tight her nails would have drawn blood if her skin was unbreakable. “Get out.” She almost hissed. Katherine did as told, but there was a smug smirk on her face that made Kara’s blood boil. Her muscles didn’t relax until she heard the front door being closed, and even then she could still feel the rage simmering.  

“Kara?” Cat’s hand on her arm brought her back, and she looked at her almost fearfully. She didn’t know what her reaction to the outburst would be. 

“I’m sorry if I overstepped.” Kara swallowed. “But I couldn’t… I couldn’t just let her say all those things about you.”  

“No one has ever stood up for me in front of my mother like that.” Cat’s eyes, she noticed as she dared looking into them, were slightly red and watery, probably from holding back tears. Kara’s heart clenched when she thought about her crying.  

“I hope you’re not too mad that I…” 

Cat’s breathy laugh cut her off. “I’m definitely not mad.” She even gave her a small smile, which Kara returned tentatively. “Can we go forget about all the unpleasantness for now and just have breakfast? I’ll go get Carter, I’m sure he’s hiding in his room. He probably sensed the arrival of the Wicked Witch of the West.” She joked dryly. 

“Don’t take too long, cold pancakes are no fun.” 

“I won’t.” Cat looked at her for one long moment before placing a soft lingering kiss on her cheek. It was nothing but innocent, but it still made Kara’s breath catch. “Thank you.” Cat whispered, almost shyly, before stepping away and Kara just nodded, not trusting herself to be able to form something other than mumbling incoherent sounds. 

*** 

After breakfast with Cat and Carter, which had been just as nice as she had hoped even despite the awful visit they’d had to endure before, Kara dropped by her apartment for a change of clothes and then headed straight to the office. She felt almost like she was floating, in fact she had to check multiple times she hadn’t inadvertedly lifted her feet off the ground, after how great the previous night had been, and how wonderfully that morning had ended. Even Winn asked her why she was extra chipper, but Kara just shrugged her shoulders and pretended not to know what he was talking about.  

There was a little voice in her that warned her no to get too excited, that it had been a one-time thing and that it had just been her and Cat spending time as _friends_ , which was what they were. What they would ever be. But it was so easy to quieten that annoying voice and just think about how it had felt like it meant so much more.   

After her lunch break, she went back to her office to retrieve some layouts but was surprised to find a little box on her desk. Curiously, she picked it up and opened it. Inside there was a beautiful watch, silvery, simple but elegant. It was obvious that it was an expensive one, the kind that probably cost more money than she made in a year.  A small handwritten note accompanied it and she unfolded it, although she’d already guessed who the present came from and she could barely keep her excitement in check. 

_“For your six month promotion anniversary._  

_It doesn’t have any diamonds, but I hope it still is to your taste._  

_Thank you for your exceptional work, and_ _, most of all,_ _for_ _your friendship_ _._  

_-C”_  

*** 

“Kara, I think you might actually be dating Cat Grant and you just haven’t realized yet.”  

Lucy’s words almost made Kara choke on the water she was drinking, and Alex looked amused as she tried to regain her composure. 

“I’m not, this is not, you’re crazy! We’re friends!” Lucy just arched an eyebrow, and Kara shook her head. She was really starting to regret catching up her on everything that had happened. Lucy, Alex and her were hanging out at Kara’s apartment, having what Lucy had called a girl’s night. It mainly translated into Kara talking about her and Cat and Lucy letting out high pitched squeals while Alex stayed worryingly quiet as she ate pizza.  

“She invited you over for dinner.” 

“Because Carter wanted to!” Kara protested.  

“And then you stayed over.”  

“It got late! And it’s not like we were in the same room or anything like that.” Just thinking about it made Kara blush.  

“Then the next morning you went all knight in shining armor for her.” Kara’s protests had become mostly mumbles and grunts at this point. “And she bought you a watch.”  

“It was a friend present!” Kara crossed her arms, pouting.  

“Do you know how much that watch is worth?”  

“I’d rather not.” Kara admitted, wishing making herself smaller until no one could see her was one of her superpowers. 

“This is so romantic.” Lucy breathed out. Apparently, she was loving the whole story. Kara just wanted to throw a pillow at her to wipe that dreamy look off her face, and that’s what she ended up doing. 

“Hey!” Lucy cried out when the pillow hit her straight in the face. “Help me out here and tell your sister what is glaringly obvious but she is too blind to see.” She turned to Alex for support. Alex grabbed the pillow, hugged it close to her, and let out a sigh.  

“It does look like there might be something there.” She shrugged her shoulders. “You like her. It seems like she likes you too. Maybe you should just ask her out.”  

Kara laughed disbelievingly. Her sister, who had hated Cat for a long time, was telling her to go for it? Maybe she’d ended up in an alternative universe without realizing. It _was_ something that could happen.  

“Ask Cat Grant out. On a date. Me.” She checked that their faces were still as serious as when they’d proposed it. “You’ve both lost your minds. How could I ever?”  

“From what I’m told, you go to the person, ask them if they’d like to have dinner together.” Alex told her really slowly, and Lucy laughed.  

“I thought you didn’t even like her! What happened to the whole ‘be careful, Kara, she’s dangerous.’ thing?” She mimicked her sister’s voice.  

“Look, she already knows your secret and hasn’t done anything to hurt you. She seems to care about you. And you’re obsessed so maybe if you just give it a chance you’ll finally shut up about it.”  

Kara opened her mouth to respond but wasn’t able to find any words, so she just shook her head and lowered her gaze. Meanwhile, Alex and Lucy shared a look, they could tell they were finally getting through her. She just needed a final push.  

“It just seems to me like you’re looking for excuses why it won’t work because you’re afraid. But if you really care for her, and I think you do, you owe it to yourself to at least try.” Lucy said in a gentle tone. “I wouldn’t have pegged Supergirl for a coward. Don’t prove me wrong.”  

Kara buried her face in her palms, took a deep breath and waited for a few seconds before rising her head again. “Ok. You win. I’ll try. But if she says no and hates me afterwards, I’m blaming both of you.”  

Lucy almost jumped up from her seat, and hugged Alex who was next to her on the couch. What had Kara let herself get into? 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! To make up for the wait, here's a long chapter and full of feels. Hope you enjoy it! I haven't had time to reply to your comments but they all make my day and I'm so happy you're liking the story.

It took Kara almost three days to gather enough courage to do it. She’d almost given up altogether multiple times, but Lucy always managed to convince her not to. And, the longer Kara thought about it, the more sense it made. She’d always tried to convince herself that she was imagining things when she saw Cat looking at her longingly, or when she felt the air between them charge with a tension she couldn’t describe.

She had been telling herself for so long that there was no chance someone like Cat Grant would like someone like her that she’d practically blinded herself to all evidence that suggested the contrary.

But now, she allowed herself to notice those things. How Cat lingered a little too long when she took the coffee Kara offered so their fingers would touch. How sometimes when they were talking Cat’s eyes dropped to her lips for a second. She was not imagining anything, she was sure of that this time.

And now that their relationship had evolved so far from her being Cat’s assistant, she could actually see the chance of them getting together involved as something realistic.  The last few days had been proof of that. Cat had invited her to her home, with her son and even let her stay overnight. That wasn’t something she did lightly, and Kara knew it. It was so important for her to keep her home and office life separated and yet Kara’d had the privilege to be invited into the most private side. That had to count for something.

At least, that was what she was hoping for when she finally decided she _would_ ask Cat out on a date. Just the thought of it made her feel like there was a knot in her stomach, but she had to. She wouldn’t forgive herself if she didn’t try, because she knew it had the potential to be amazing if it worked out. It was worth the risk. And if things went wrong, she could only pray their friendship wouldn’t suffer too much because of it.

She lost count of how many pep talks she gave to herself on the cab ride to Cat’s house. She had managed to calm down her nerves enough so she didn’t feel like she was going to throw up anymore, but she still fidgeted anxiously as she waited for Cat to open up the front door. She knew that Carter was away that night, and that was part of the reason why she’d chosen it.

“Kara? Is everything ok?” Cat, dressed casually in yoga pants and a loose blouse, seemed rightfully surprised to see her there.

“Yeah, yeah everything’s just fine. I just wondered if maybe we could talk for a minute?” Kara smiled, hoping it wouldn’t come out too forced, and Cat stepped aside to let her in, eyeing her curiously.

“This couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” She asked as she walked towards the kitchen where it looked like she had been cooking dinner, and Kara followed her.

“I didn’t want to do this at the office.” She knew their work relationship complicated things, and for what she was about to do she’d rather keep the professionality as far away as possible. Cat leaned on the counter and examined her with an eyebrow raised as if she was trying to guess what was going on.

“What is this about?”

“I wanted to ask if you would like to have dinner with me tomorrow night.” Her schedule was cleared, she’d had checked with the new assistant. If Cat told her she was busy, Kara wouldn’t say anything, but she’d know it was a rejection.

“You came all this way to ask me to have dinner with you?” Cat let out a small laugh. “Honestly, Kara…”

“A date. I came to ask you out on a date.” Kara was thankful she’d been able to keep her voice steady and not run out. Her heart beat like it would escape from her ribcage as she waited for Cat’s reaction. Her smile had disappeared almost immediately, and Kara had the feeling this was going to end up going horribly wrong.

“A date? You and I?” Kara couldn’t make any more words come out of her mouth, but at least she successfully nodded firmly and hoped it was enough to convey confidence. “Why… What.”

Kara had managed to make Cat speechless. Never in a million years would Cat have guessed that she would show up at her house out of the blue and ask her out on a date. Just like that, like it was nothing. After all the months Cat had spent denying her feelings for her, after all the times she had held back the urge to kiss her. Because she’d told herself Kara wouldn’t want that. That it would be inappropriate, _wrong_. But now Kara was standing in front of her, looking so nervous she feared she would pass out, after telling Cat she did want her too.

But it was still wrong, that little voice inside of her that sounded too much like her mother told her. Look at her, she’s so young. So good. She just thinks she wants you. Maybe it had been all those stupid articles. Maybe it was some kind of hero crush and all those magazines had confused Kara.

“I can’t.” Cat told her, praying Kara wouldn’t notice how hard she was gripping the kitchen counter so she could have something to hold onto. “I’m sorry, if I ever made you think there was something else here.”

Kara’s face broke her heart. She looked so hurt, and confused, and Cat could tell she was on the verge of tears. She hated herself for being the one responsible.

“Isn’t there?” Kara asked, as she stepped closer. She didn’t understand. She knew Cat’s feelings were deeper than just friendship, she’d been so sure of that. “Because I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t think there was a chance you felt the same.”

Kara had gotten close to her, and Cat had to force herself to remain still and not give herself away. She held her gaze, but deep down she was sure Kara knew her too well to fall for her pretense. “Do you really not want this?” Kara’s eyes showed her total vulnerability in that moment. She looked so hopeful and Cat couldn’t, she just _couldn’t_ lie to her like that.

“Kara, we can’t. It doesn’t matter what I want.” She shook her head and avoided looking at her.

“It matters to me.” She had taken Cat’s hand, and it was getting harder each second not to give in. “Look at me.” She said gently, and Cat raised her head to face her again. “If we both want this, what’s stopping us?”

“Everything! Everything’s against us, don’t you see that? Are you really that naïve?” Cat yanked her hand away and took a step back to distance herself from Kara. She had let this go on for long enough, it had gotten way too close and too dangerous. She had to put a stop to it now. “You’re half my age. You work for me. Look at you, look at me.” Her voice dripped bitterness. “This would _never_ work.”

Every word felt like a stab to her guts to Kara. The Cat she knew, that could be so gentle and kind, was nowhere to be seen. Kara regretted ever letting herself think this could happen. That she would be so lucky and Cat would want her back, that she would want the same as her. It had been a ridiculous fantasy, she knew that now.

“Ok.” She said quietly, her shoulders sagging in defeat. “I’m sorry I bothered you. Goodbye.” Kara made her way out of the house as quickly as she could, not wanting Cat to see her break down.

Cat managed to maintain her composure until Kara disappeared from sight, and she couldn’t keep the tears at bay any more. She angrily wiped them away and took a deep breath, trying to forget the look on Kara’s face when she teared apart the last trace of hope she had. She’d thought she’d be saving Kara from so much hurt if she pushed her away, but at that moment it only felt like she had caused her too much pain.

***

Alex had been dozing off on her couch when loud knocking on her door woke her up. She’d fallen asleep watching TV, and when she checked her phone she saw it was almost midnight. Not many people would show up at that hour, not many people showed up at her apartment at all, so her first guess was Kara. When she opened the door, her suspicions were confirmed. Her sister looked like a mess. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and Alex’s protective instinct kicked right in.

“What happened?” She asked as Kara stepped inside, arms wrapped around herself giving an even sadder impression.

“She said no.” Kara said so weakly she almost couldn’t hear it.

“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.” Alex rushed to hug her and Kara clung to her tightly. She’d never seen her sister so upset over something like this, and if she’d had Cat Grant in front of her at that moment she’d probably done something she’d regret later.

Gently, she tugged Kara towards the couch and made her sit down. She gave her a box of tissues and took the ice-cream she reserved for emergencies out of the fridge. Right then, the only thing she could do for Kara was be there for her. She knew her sister well enough to be sure that she’d talk when she was ready, and hopefully, it would be soon enough because she was desperate to know exactly what had happened that night to lead to this.

“I went to her house tonight.” Kara started speaking in a quiet voice. “I asked her out, and she said no.” Alex held her hand and squeezed it gently when she took a moment before continuing. “I asked her why. I was so sure she felt the same, Alex. I _knew_ it.”

“I know, sweetheart.” Alex reassured her as she rubbed her back. “Did she explain why?”

“She said we couldn’t. That it would never work. She said all those things, like it was such a ridiculous idea.” Kara laughed bitterly. That’s what hurt the most. Cat hadn’t denied her feelings for her. But she’d made the idea of them being together sound like the most ludicrous concept.

“She’s an idiot if she actually thinks that. Anyone would be lucky to be with you.” Alex felt useless as she watched Kara dig into the ice cream and starting to eat it slowly. The next time she saw Cat Grant, she was going to give that woman a piece of her mind.

“You know what the worst part actually is. I think she does feel the same.” Kara sighed, staring into the bucket. 

“It sounds like she might be scared.” The last thing she wanted was to give Cat the benefit of the doubt, but she had to admit the signs were all there. Lucy and her wouldn’t have pushed Kara to do it if they didn’t think her chances were good. It didn’t mean she didn’t regret that now, or that she wasn’t pissed at Cat for being such an idiot. “Maybe she’ll come around.”

“It didn’t look like it before, trust me.”

“If she doesn’t, well, it’s her loss.” She wondered how Cat had managed to leave Kara, the incorrigible optimist, feeling so hopeless. For the time being, she’d have to put all thoughts of revenge aside and just comfort her sister as best as she could, Alex thought as she passed an arm over her sister’s shoulder and pulled her close.

***

Cat was miserable. Ever since Kara had fled her house a few nights ago, she hadn’t heard from her or even seen her around the office. She would suspect Kara even resorted to using her super speed to avoid her if she didn’t know the other woman would never be that irresponsible. Still, she’d barely caught glimpses of her during that week and it killed her every time she saw Kara just leaving whenever she entered a room.

She knew she had screwed up that night. Badly. She’d hurt Kara so much she couldn’t even bear to look at her, and causing any kind of harm to her had always been the last thing she wanted. And now, she missed her so badly.

She missed having the chance to see Kara when she brought her latte in the morning. She missed their lunches together in her balcony, and the late nights in her office talking over layouts. She missed Kara smiling at her and making everything brighter. She missed how she such a good listener and knew exactly what to do to make the heavy weight that was always on Cat’s shoulders seem lighter.

Cat Grant refused to be desperate, but in this occasion, that might be the best word to describe the need she felt to make amends. She wanted everything back to how it was before, when Kara hadn’t showed up at her house and pulled the rug from under her feet. Before she felt like she was on the edge of a precipice and any move would lead her to a disastrous fall.

For the first time in years, Cat found herself not having a clue about what she should do. The only thing that was clear was that she needed to at least try and fix things with Kara. She could only hope she hadn’t damaged them too badly. But _this_ , this situation, was something she couldn’t stand anymore. She needed to at least know if Kara hated her, if their friendship or whatever their relationship had become was over for good.

Summoning all her courage and determination, Cat crossed the bullpen to get to Kara’s office. It was late and almost everyone had gone home, but she knew Kara would be there because there had been a delay with some of the articles of the pages she was supposed to edit and she’d had no choice but to stay late so they wouldn’t miss the deadline.

She knocked on the door but didn’t wait for any response before letting herself in and closing the door behind her. Kara looked like she was expecting her, and it didn’t surprise Cat considering she’d probably heard her coming a mile away with her powers.

“Did you want anything, Miss Grant?” Kara asked her as she left the layouts on the desk. Cat knew she’d gone back to the formalities to put distance between themselves, and maybe a little out of spite. She couldn’t blame her.

“We need to talk.” Cat said, stepping closer to the desk but not sitting down.

“Unless this is a professional matter, I don’t think we do.” Kara’s jaw was set tightly, and it was easy to see the anger boiling under her apparent calmness, but Cat wasn’t going to back out.

“We need to talk about the other night. I’m sorry if I hurt you, and I understand if you’re mad at me, but I just…” Cat sighed, looking down before saying the next words because she’d be too embarrassed to do it otherwise. “I miss you. And us being like this, it’s awful.” She swallowed and attempted to regain some of her dignity. “Do you think we could go back?”

Kara let out a dry laugh. “You broke my heart, Cat.” She at least had the decency to look ashamed. “And the worst part is, it’s not because you don’t feel the same. You’re just afraid.” Kara’s anger seemed to be rising, making her stand up to face Cat. “You gave up on us without even trying, because you’re too scared of what could go wrong. And you might be many things but I never thought you were a coward.”

“Kara, I did what I thought was best for-“

“Bullshit.” She was quickly cut off, and almost flinched at Kara’s tone and the way she was looking at her. The anger wasn’t even the worst part, the disappointment was. “You and I, it _would_ work. I know it would. I know it would be great, even if it seems difficult. But you’re not even willing to consider it. So no, I’m sorry we can’t go back to how it was before. Because I want so much more and it hurts. It breaks my heart being next to you and not being able to kiss you even when I know you want it too. It hurts too much to be reminded of everything we could have.” There was no stopping Kara’s tirade. She even seemed to be surprised by it herself.

Had the situation been any different, Cat would be so proud of Kara for standing up for herself that way. But given the circumstances, she all her energy was spent on trying to remain as impassible as she could, which was hard enough when her eyes burned from trying to suppress tears.

“You once told me the worst decisions you had ever made were the ones based on fear. Maybe someday you’ll realize this is one of them.” Kara seemed to be close to breaking down too, and maybe that’s why she rushed out of the office right after that.

Cat didn’t have the strength to follow her, or even argue anything of what she’d told her. Not when she knew she was right about every single thing she’d said.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is pure fluff to make up for last chapter. Also, Cat and Kara talk things out. I love all the feedback the last chapter got, thanks for all the comments and for sharing your thoughts on the story! Next chapter will probably be the last one, if things go according to plan. I hope to have it up soon!

It had been a hellish week and Kara couldn’t be happier that it was over. Alex and Lucy had asked her to go out with them, but she’d refused and opted for staying at home even if it was a Friday night. She knew they meant well, and that all they wanted was for her to forget all about Cat, but Kara just felt like staying in ordering an insane amount of take out and eating ice cream while watching horror movies. They blamed themselves a little for the whole mess, but Kara didn’t hold it against them. It wasn’t their fault that Cat had chosen not to give it a shot.

She almost couldn’t believe everything that she had said to Cat the other night, but she had been so furious. She still was. It was easier to deal with than the pain of being heartbroken, of Cat not having chosen her instead of surrendering to her fears. Still, she was proud she’d stood up for herself. Cat couldn’t expect her to be fine and go back to how it was before, not when everything had been revealed.

It didn’t mean it hadn’t been hard because she missed her desperately. Cat meant so much to her, and she occupied so much of her time and thoughts she couldn’t just forget about her. She was on her mind whenever she was at CatCo, whenever she looked at the watch on her wrist that Kara just couldn’t take off even though it made her heart clench whenever she saw it.

Despite everything, she’d been able to stay strong. Alex had helped greatly, and even Lucy had been there for her and offered some comfort.

Kara was juggling take out menus, trying to remember which one had the teriyaki chicken she’d enjoyed so much last time when the doorbell rang. Immediately, she thought it was her sister coming to beg her to join them for the last time, so she didn’t even check with her super vision as she usually did.

“Alex, I told you I don’t feel like going out ton…” The rest of the sentence died on her throat when she saw who was actually standing on the other side of the door. Cat, as poised as ever in a form-fitting blue dress, watched as Kara tried to compose herself.

“What are you doing here?” She tried to appear as unaffected as possible, unconsciously putting her hands on her hips in a gesture that resembled her counterpart’s usual confident pose.

“I was in the neighborhood.” Cat sounded a little nervous. It was something Kara had rarely seen in her, but she seemed to be unsure about how to proceed.

“I’m not in the mood. If you’ve come to try and convince me again to forget about everything it’s not going to-“

“I want to have that date with you.”

“Wait, what?” Kara was completely thrown off.

“I know I showed up kind of unannounced but it’s not like I could wait too much or I would lose my nerve so.” Cat said hurriedly.

“What the hell, Cat. You can’t just show up and expect me to...” Kara didn’t even know what to say. She could already feel her defenses start to crumble down.

“Kara. I know I really screwed up. I know you’re mad and I understand. This is just me apologizing and asking for a second chance.” She paused for a second, and when Kara didn’t say anything she took it as a sign to keep going. “You wanted to have dinner. I can cook for you.” She lifted two brown paper bags Kara hadn’t even noticed she was holding until now. “And then we can eat, and talk and figure this out. If that’s still what you want.”

“It’s still what I want.” Kara knew from the beginning she’d never be able to refuse. Cat coming here, asking for another chance, practically begging when she knew how proud the woman could be, it meant too much not to forget about their fights and the hurt of her rejection.

“Thank you.” Cat’s smile when she stepped aside to let her in was all the confirmation Kara needed to know she’d make the right choice.

“So you cook?” She asked her as Cat walked straight to the small kitchen and started getting everything out of the bags.

“You ask like you don’t believe it.” Kara shrugged her shoulders, hiding a little smile. “It will be edible, I promise.”

“Okay.” She couldn’t help staring at Cat as she slowly processed everything. She’d spent almost week without seeing her, and now she was at Kara’s apartment cooking her dinner and they were on a _date_. It had all happened so fast. Cat must have noticed it, because she stopped what she was doing and turned to look at her.

“I know it’s weird. And I know you must still be angry at me, but I really want to fix this.” Kara didn’t doubt her honesty for a second, no matter what had happened with them lately.

“It’s ok. We can just forget about all of that, at least for tonight, alright?” She slid her hand closer to Cat’s over the counter and intertwined their fingers. “I’m glad you’re here. Really glad.” Even with her head ducked, she could make out Cat’s smile and it her own grow.

“I do feel really underdressed, though.” Kara awkwardly added, looking down at the old t-shirt and pajama pants she was wearing. She certainly hadn’t been expecting Cat to visit.

“I don’t mind it.” Cat said as she gave her a once over that had Kara blushing.

“That must be the first time you haven’t complained about my outfit.” Kara joked. “I’m still going to change.”

She put on something more decent and made sure she looked presentable, and by the time she went back Cat already looked busy in the kitchen keeping an eye on a pan and cutting up some vegetables. “What are you making?” Kara asked from behind her, looking over her shoulder.

“You’ll see.”

“Can I help?”

“No.” Cat caught Kara’s hand before she could touch anything and turned around. “I’m making _you_ dinner.” She told her poking her shoulder. “This is part of my whole grand apology so let me.”

“Okay, okay.” Kara held up her hands mocking surrender. She was trying not to let it show how being this close to Cat was making her so nervous and excited at the same time. In a bold move, she dared raising her hand to gently put a lock of hair behind Cat’s ear. She could swear she felt the other woman shiver.

“You’re distracting me and I’ll burn the food.”

Kara sighed. “Okay, I’ll let you cook and be as little distracting as possible.” She finally took a step back and leaned on the counter.

“I’m afraid you not being distracting is possible.” Cat said as she went back to the cooking, and Kara was thankful she couldn’t see her blush anymore.

“Wait, you’re going to get a stain on that very expensive looking dress and I don’t want to hear you complaining about it later.” Kara stopped her, smiling mischievously as she handed her the apron that was hanging on the wall.

“No way.” Cat flat out refused it, but after a few seconds trying to resist Kara’s best puppy look she gave up and took it.

They mostly made small talk while Cat prepared dinner, but Kara was content to just watch her in such a different environment than she was used to. Just as she did at the office, Cat didn’t seem to be able to be completely still for a second while she cooked, and Kara was fascinated by every little thing she did. Maybe it was the fact that Cat looked completely adorable in her apron, or that it felt so _right_ the two of them together doing something so utterly domestic and mundane.

“It’s almost done.” Cat said as stirred the pan carefully. She stopped when she felt Kara’s hands settle on her hips. She held her breath as Kara slowly embraced her from behind, squeezing tightly for a moment and resting her chin on her shoulder.

“I missed you.” She heard Kara murmur, making her smile. Cat relaxed into her arms. “Sorry if I’m distracting you.”

“You’re not.” Cat replied softly, and took a deep breath before turning around to face her.

“Is this okay?” Kara asked tentatively, while her thumbs traced circles on the small of Cat’s back, and she melted at how considerate she always was.

“More than okay.” She smiled. “I missed you too.” She leaned her forehead on Kara’s shoulder, who hugged her a little tighter. They stayed like that for a very long moment, it felt like something they both needed, until Cat pulled away slowly. “The sauce is going to get cold. Go and set up the table.” She told Kara, who just nodded without being able to wipe the smile off her face.

Cat had made an enough pasta for at least four people, but Kara knew there probably wouldn’t be much left when they were done, especially since it looked delicious. She served Kara an extra amount, and they both sat down to start eating while glancing at each other nervously.

“This is amazing.” Kara told her after a few bites.

“Well, I don’t usually have time to cook but when I do.” Cat played coy.

“Do you really want to try?” Kara asked after a brief awkward silence. She didn’t want to ruin what was being an amazing night, but there were some things that had to be cleared up before it got any further.

“Yes, I do.”

“What changed?”

Cat sighed and set her fork on her plate. She looked at Kara so she’d know she was being completely earnest. “I realized you were right. I told you no because I was scared. I still am. I’m terrified this will end badly, but I just couldn’t stay away anymore.”

Kara left put her hand over Cat’s as she spoke. “Well, I’m really happy you didn’t.” She smiled widely.

“I’m really happy you didn’t throw me out when I showed up on your doorstep out of the blue.”

“I could never send you away. I understand, you were scared. And I could have dealt with it better.” Kara sighed. She’d been so hurt after Cat’s rejection, and it had turned into an anger that didn’t let her see things from the other woman’s point of view.

Cat smiled almost shyly, holding Kara’s hand. “Are you _really_ sure about this?” She couldn’t help asking once more. Because if they were really going to do this, and it certainly seemed like they were, she needed to make sure Kara knew what was at stake. “You know it won’t be easy.”

“Everyone already thinks we’re dating and we’ve been fine.” Kara reassured her. That was true. The consequences hadn’t been as adverse as Cat would have imagined, and knowing that had been an important factor while gathering the courage to show up at Kara’s house and ask for another chance.

“It’s not just that. I’m a difficult person to be with.”

“I know that. I was your assistant.” Kara joked, making Cat smile a little despite herself.

“There’s also Carter to consider. I would never want him to get hurt because of me.”

“You know I love him. And I wouldn’t take being a part of his life lightly.” Kara was serious now, she knew Carter was the most important part of Cat’s life. “I know what being with you would entail. I’m not walking away no matter how many times you remind me of everything that could go wrong, I’ll still think it’s worth it. Do you?”

Kara had sounded so honest, so sure of everything she said Cat didn’t hesitate for a moment before answering her question. “Yes. You’re worth it.” 

Kara’s smile was so bright Cat swore she could have been blinded by it. She brought Kara’s hand, which she was still holding, to her lips, and kissed it lightly, making the other woman blush and quickly start eating again to hide her flustering.

Everything seemed to go even smoother after their talk. They knew the other had no doubts anymore, and while it was freeing, the fact that there was nothing holding them back now also made everything more real and it was making Kara nervous. She was extra conscious of every move now, desperate to touch Cat more now that she knew she wouldn’t be rejected but at the same time she was too scared to do it.

After dinner, Kara insisted on doing the dishes since the other woman had cooked, and Cat took it as an opportunity to look around the apartment. She’d gone straight towards the easel and art supplies she’d caught a glimpse of before when she came in, but hadn’t had the chance to examine properly. She didn’t know that Kara painted, and from all the canvases she found she appeared to be quite good at it too.

“You’ve never told me about this.”  She said when felt Kara standing at her side, holding up one of the paintings which showed a detailed landscape.

“It’s just a hobby.” Kara shrugged her shoulders.

“These are quite good.”

“Maybe I could do a portrait of you sometime. If you’d like.” She suggested.

“Is that how you seduce all of the girls?”

“No!” Kara chuckled, embarrassed and Cat just smirked, obviously enjoying teasing her.

“Well, then I guess we could do that.” Cat conceded as Kara handed her a glass of wine she’d brought for her.

They moved to the sofa as Kara explained to her how she’d started painting when she was with the Danvers. It had been a way to take her mind off everything and also served as a method to learn how to control her newfound strength. Cat let her talk, she loved it when Kara explained things about her past and got so into the story she forgot all of her shyness. It also seemed like a privilege, to have Kara confide in her so much.

“Am I talking too much?”

“Not at all.” Cat shook her head lightly, looking at her with a soft smile. She had taken her shoes off, like she did so many nights at the office, and her sat facing Kara with her feet tucked under her body **.** Their hands had found themselves again, and they rested on Cat’s thigh while they played with their fingers.

“I hope so. I’m not really that good at this…” She admitted. “I still find it kind of hard to believe.”

“What?”

“That you want _me_.” Cat hated how Kara seemed to think of herself as someone less than worthy, but it was a feeling she could understand completely. So she swore to do everything in her power to stop her from feeling that way.

“How could I not?” She cupped Kara’s face and traced her cheekbone with her thumb slowly. “You’re extraordinary.” Cat could see her swallow, and her eyes shining with emotion. “I can’t understand how someone could not want you, when you’re the most beautiful, kindest, bravest person I’ve ever met.”

Kara was looking at her with an emotion in her eyes she had never seen before. She felt the girl’s hand tremble in hers, and she gripped it tightly while Kara leaned closer at a torturous pace. Cat met her halfway.

The kiss started with their lips barely grazing, and slowly deepened as they grew confident and it sunk in that it was really happening. After all those months spent waiting hopelessly for something they’d never thought possible, it was happening and it was better than anything they’d dared to imagine.

Cat rested her forehead on Kara’s as she caught her breath. It had been just a kiss, but the intensity of it had made her glad she was sitting down already or else she feared her knees may have wobbled. Kara was grinning and kept the hand that had tangled itself in Cat’s had hair during the kiss there, stroking lightly. “Can I do that again?”

“Please.”

Kara didn’t hold anything back this time. She kissed Cat with an intensity that had her breathing heavily and gripping the collar of Kara’s shirt tightly tugging her even closer. She didn’t even know how Cat ended up straddling her, but Kara wasn’t going to complain, especially not when she started leaving hot kisses along her neck.

“Cat.” She breathed out. “Can we...” Cat stopped immediately, but didn’t completely pull away and Kara was grateful for that.

“Too fast?” She asked gently.

“No, I just… I don’t…” Kara sighed, frustrated at herself for not being able to express her feelings correctly. She certainly had been enjoying it, but something was making her nervous and she couldn’t help holding back. Probably because of her lack of experience with those kinds of things, having powers that could get out of control didn’t exactly facilitate sex. Thankfully, Cat recognized her struggle to express her feelings at the moment and took over.

“We’ll take it slow. We’re not in any hurry.” Cat said, and reassured Kara with a few more brief kisses that did help her calm down. “And it’s only our first date so don’t be getting any ideas.” She teased Kara, whose cheeks blushed slightly as she giggled. She let her hands rest on Cat’s hips and gently pushed her closer to give her another kiss.

“So there will be other dates?” She whispered, grinning widely.

“If you want to.”

“Of course.” Kara almost couldn’t believe how the night had turned out. That Cat had decided to show up, and that she was now sitting on her lap looking at her like she was the most marvelous thing she’d ever seen, with a softness and an affection she’d only ever seen directed to Carter. She kissed her sweetly, running a hand up and down her back slowly. “I think I might be the luckiest person in the world.” She murmured close to Cat’s ear, after leaving a kiss on her cheek.

“You are not getting mushy on me already.” Cat warned her, but Kara knew she didn’t mind from the way her lips curled slightly upwards.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to get used to it.”

“Ugh.” Kara laughed, and Cat couldn’t hold back a smile. “I should get going. Carter’s coming home from his father’s early tomorrow.” She said with a sigh, leaving was the last thing she wanted to do, but if she didn’t do it now she was sure she wouldn’t be able to leave Kara’s arms.

“Of course.” As always, Kara didn’t protest or show any disappointment, and Cat was grateful she was always selfless enough not to make things harder.

She accompanied Cat to the door and she gave her a deep long kiss that left her standing there with her eyes closed for a few seconds.

“I’m really happy you came tonight. It was perfect.” Kara told her, her lips curved into a small smile.

“I’m really happy too.” Cat stood up on her toes to press her a last kiss against her cheek. “We’ll talk tomorrow?”

Kara nodded. “Text me when you get home?”

“Of course. Goodnight, Kara.”

“Goodnight, Cat.”


End file.
